NFC Championship Betting Preview, Odds and Predictions

The road to the Super Bowl for the NFC last year was dominated by the San Francisco 49ers who demolished the Minnesota Vikings and the Green Bay Packers on their way to winning the NFC Championship.

This year, the 49ers are one of five teams all within striking distance of being the odds on favorite to win the conference championship. Unlike the AFC Championship, where it’s a two horse race between the Chiefs and Ravens, the NFC is wide open.

Let’s huddle up to examine all of the NFC contenders, identify any potential betting value, and make some winning predictions.

NFC Championship Betting Odds

The following betting odds are courtesy of BetOnline:

• San Francisco 49ers (+500)
• Dallas Cowboys (+600)
• New Orleans Saints (+600)
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+600)
• Seattle Seahawks (+800)
• Philadelphia Eagles (+1200)
• Green Bay Packers (+1400)
• Minnesota Vikings (+1600)
• Arizona Cardinals (+2500)
• Chicago Bears (+2500)
• Los Angeles Rams (+2800)
• Atlanta Falcons (+3300)
• Detroit Lions (+3300)
• New York Giants (+5000)
• Carolina Panthers (+8000)
• Washington (+10000)

The NFC Betting Favorites

According to most NFL betting sites, the following teams are the odds on favorites to win the NFC Championship:

San Francisco 49ers (+500)

Depending on which sports betting site you are looking at, the San Francisco 49ers are either the slight favorite or a co-favorite to win the NFC Championship this year. The 49ers are also considered one of the most complete teams in the NFL.

Last year, the offense was 4th in total ypg (381.1), 2nd in rushing yards at 144.1 ypg, and 2nd in scoring at 29.9 points per game.

The defense was equally as impressive allowing 281.1 ypg which was 3rd best, the number one pass defense at 169.2 ypg, and the 8th best scoring defense at 19.4 ppg.

The 49ers did lose DeForest Buckner and Sheldon Day along the defensive line, which has left some pundits concerned about the front four. But, they still have a lot of talent on this side of the ball and at all three levels.

The offense lost RB Matt Breida and WR Emmanuel Sanders, but they did draft WR Brandon Aiyuk and still have a deep backfield. More impressively, they added LT Trent Williams through a trade with Washington to solidify the o-line.

The 49ers will be in for a battle with the Seattle Seahawks for the NFC West division. Even if they don’t win the division, San Francisco is expected to make the Playoffs and be a serious threat to repeat as the NFC Champs.

Dallas Cowboys (+600)

I must admit that I am very surprised to see the Dallas Cowboys this high on the list of betting favorites. Putting them on the same level with the Saints and Buccaneers is crazy if you ask me.

I won’t even make you wait until the end of the article to read that not only do I think the Cowboys will not win the NFC Championship, I didn’t even have the Dallas Cowboys winning the NFC East division.

I believe the Cowboys will be competitive this year, but with a new head coach, new systems and some key losses, I just don’t see this team being as good as the 49ers, Saints, Buccaneers, and Seahawks.

Dallas lost their best corner and has big concerns in the secondary. Additionally, the offensive line will be challenged to perform at their usual high level due to injuries and retirement.

The Cowboys are overvalued for this prop bet and I would avoid them even if they were +1400 like the Packers.

New Orleans Saints (+600)

The New Orleans Saints have had some bad luck go their way in the Playoffs the last few years. From two losses to the Vikings to the blown pass interference call against the Rams, the Saints have come up short in the postseason the last three years.

Along with the 49ers, I believe the Saints have the most complete roster in the NFC. I give them the edge over the 49ers at QB, RB, and WRs but the 49ers have the better TE and defense. Yet, the Saints added some more pieces to the puzzle and believe this will be the year they finally get back to the Super Bowl.

Already an explosive offense, the Saints added WR Emmanuel Sanders to their team, which makes this passing attack nearly as dangerous as Kansas City’s air raid. They also added Ty Montgomery who can play both WR and RB. He’s another weapon for head coach Sean Payton to use at his disposal.

Defensively, the Saints are stacked, but they also added LB Nigel Bradham and drafted LB Zack Baun to improve the overall depth of this unit and to improve their special teams.

This is most likely going to be Drew Brees’ final year in the NFL. He already has a cushy TV gig lined up once he retires. At 41 years old, Brees hasn’t slowed down, but father time catches up to us all.

I like the Saints to edge out the Buccaneers in the NFC South and to contend for the NFC Championship in January 2021.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+600)

Speaking of the Bucs, this franchise was brought back from the brink of disaster in the offseason when they added the GOAT Tom Brady and his bestie Rob Gronkowski to their roster. Additionally, the Bucs picked up a few more pieces along the offensive line to ensure that Brady remains upright and in one piece.

The additions of Brady and Gronk make this Tampa Bay offense one of the best in the conference. With wide receivers Evans and Godwin, the addition of Gronk will open up the field for Brady to pick apart opposing defenses.

In the backfield, Tampa added free agent running backs LeSean McCoy and Leonard Fournette to go along with Ronald Jones. This trio of RBs will make Tampa’s running game the best it’s been since Mike Alstott and Warrick Dunn.

It’s going to be a lot of fun watching Tampa Bay play this season. With that in mind, I did give the Saints the edge in the division since there wasn’t a preseason and Tampa would need more time to gel due to all of the new additions on both sides of the ball.


The Bucs have become a trendy pick to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. With Brady at the helm, it’s hard to argue against it.

The Best of the Rest

The following teams offer betting value based on their odds, rosters and potential for making the Playoffs:

Seattle Seahawks (+800)

According to most football betting sites, the 49ers are the slight favorites over the Seahawks to win the NFC West. Yet, they’re even more of a betting favorite to win the NFC Championship.

I happen to think that Seattle is going to be a real contender in the conference this year as they’ve definitely improved their roster.

Last year, the team’s biggest weakness was the offensive line and inconsistent play in the secondary. This offseason, Seattle made sure to address both areas. They brought in some fresh bodies on the o-line to give Russell Wilson more time to throw the ball.

Additionally, Seattle added more weapons on offense for Wilson as they signed RB Carlos Hyde, TE Greg Olsen and WR Phillip Dorsett. Just recently, the Seahawks brought back WR Paul Richardson who makes this a dangerous quartet of receivers along with DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.

Defensively, Seattle made several significant upgrades and this is a big reason why they will improve their overall standing in the conference.

In the secondary, Seattle traded for CB Quinton Dunbar and Safety Jamal Adams giving this team a new version of their “Legion of Boom.” They also brought back DE/LB Bruce Irvin and drafted LB Jordyn Brooks and DL Darrell Taylor in the first two rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Seattle has done more to improve their roster in the NFC West than any other team. They are flying under the radar to win the conference and definitely worthy of a flier.

Green Bay Packers (+1400)

It really surprises me how Green Bay is this far down in the betting odds considering they still have one of the best QBs in the league with Aaron Rodgers. Additionally, the Packers added RB AJ Dillon in the draft and brought in WR Devin Funchess via free agency.

Defensively, not much has changed for the Packers as they should have a similar level of success in 2020. The Packers’ defense was 9th in points allowed at 19.6 ppg. They applied a bend, but don’t break approach that saw them finish in the middle of the pack for total yards allowed.

I see the NFC North division being weaker this year due to how much talent the Vikings lost in addition to the Bears not having a franchise QB and the Lions having just four winning seasons in the last 18 years.

I believe the Packers can make a run to the Divisional Round of the Playoffs, but will need to show marked improvement on defense to get back to the NFC Championship game and contend for the conference crown.

With that said, I still believe Green Bay is better than the Cowboys.

Who Wins the 2020-21 NFC Championship?

I see the NFC coming down to these four teams:

1. 49ers
2. Saints
3. Buccaneers
4. Seahawks

I believe the Seahawks are the sleeper of this bunch, but I have to go with the Saints to finally breakthrough and win the NFC for the first time since 2009.

In what should be Drew Brees’ final campaign, New Orleans is all-in on winning this year and they have the talent to do so. I expect this offense to be even better than last season.

The Bucs will fall short, Seattle will stumble on the road in the postseason and the 49ers don’t have the firepower on offense to hang with New Orleans this year.